John Cronin, Founder and Managing Director at ipCG, has decades of experience in developing patent and invention documentation processes. While at IBM, and as their top inventor, he documented over 600 disclosures. In his work managing the IBM Patent Factory, he developed a process for and reviewed thousands of invention disclosures. Since forming ipCG, he has trained hundreds of clients in invention documentation. The ipCG invention process is recognized by many patent counsels across the world as best-in-class. Our clients are concerned with many issues about invention documentation, including:

1. Is there a process to understand the invention and to expedite finding what is important to document?
2. Is there a systematic way to link all aspects of the specification?
3. Is there a process to find the “crux” of the invention, to differentiate it from the art and to focus the invention on what is really new?
4. How can we expand an original invention, to ensure that it covers all possible invent arounds and improvements?
5. Are there ways to get a portfolio documented rapidly, so that we do not need to wait for all the training and process improvements required for our inventors?
6. Is there clear education and awareness about how to see invention in our work and how to document an invention disclosure?

ipCG started in 1987 as an invention disclosure service to companies that needed high-quality, well-written disclosures. Over the years, we have developed many other services and become a strategy advisor on the use of IP. However, the highly valued training service remains. ipCG:

1. Provides a process to help you understand, by the facilitation of the business and technical scale of problems, the invention and the key problems and the right level of the problem, from which you can define the subject matter that supports the right level of the problem.
2. Provides a systematic way to link patent drawings to the specification, through the development of robust 8 – 12 page invention disclosures.
3. Provides a systematic way to find the “crux” of the invention, to differentiate it from the art, and to focus the invention on what is really new.
4. Provides a novel “expansion process,” to ensure that the invention is expanded regarding time, invent-arounds, and supply chain issues.
5. Provides education about how to see invention in your work and how to document your invention.
6. Provides training to interview and document systematically robust invention disclosures.

We understand the need to get the basics done right and quickly, then mastered later, as a core skill and process. All IP protection starts with documentation. ipCG can help you document your inventions and train your team to do best-in-class invention disclosures.

To obtain more information or discuss your unique challenges please contact us.